Among other new allowances, EU-based app developers can now promote and link to offers for digital goods and services outside their app.

In a scramble to sidestep penalties that could soar into the billions, and with Brussels regulators watching closely, Apple has agreed to let Europeans download iPhone apps from outside its own App Store.

Apple has moved to revamp its European Union app store policies as it seeks to fend off escalating fines under the 27-nation bloc’s digital competition regulations.